Holden is now launching the Barina RS in Austrailia, carrying a base price of $20,990 AUD. It comes with a 6-speed manual transmission mated to the same 1.4 liter turbo engine available in the Holden Cruze. An optional six-speed auto is also available, bringing the price up to $23,190.
“Holden Barina has been a popular choice for light car buyers for over 28 years.” Said Holden General Manager of Marketing and Communications, Teresa Basile. “The addition of the RS model will further extend the appeal of Barina to buyers looking for better driving performance from a light car, and priced from just $20,990, it represents great value at this competitive end of the market.”
The Barina RS differs from its American sister car, the Chevrolet Sonic RS, through its unique power steering calibration. Holden engineers worked to develop a right-hand-drive steering system tuned specifically for Australian driving tastes.
Comment
The media hasn’t reacted well to the RS name, especially because so many brands use it. I think they should have used the SRi name which is currently used on the Cruze and previously on Holden’s rebadged Opel Astra.